


A Growing Family

by simplebitch



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: Gen, M/M, This is fluff, anders and justice are both hopelessly in love with this dweeb, coop is a dweeb, coop's twin is a little shit, nothing but fluff as far as the eye can see
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-09 00:16:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10399386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplebitch/pseuds/simplebitch
Summary: Cooper hasn't left bed all day, prompting his twin to make a visit down to Anders' clinic for help.When he returns to the estate, however, he realizes that the reason the archer has holed himself in his room isn't nearly as alarming as he was led to believe.





	

**Author's Note:**

> There is some Fem!Hawke/Fenris hinted at, as well as Alistair/Cousland. Didn't want to put it in the tags, since it's not all that prevalent. Have something cute where nobody is sad.

“Just… apply this whenever the coughing gets really bad. It should help ease your daughter’s breathing.” Anders handed over a small clay jar, smiling tiredly as the man gripped his shoulder, tears in his eyes.

“Thank you, healer.” His voice shook, breaking towards the end. “Thank you.”

Another day at the clinic, and while it might leave him tired, sore, and drained from using so much magic, Anders wouldn’t trade it for the world. He was a healer, first and foremost, and he always had been. There was something deeply satisfying about helping the people in Darktown, giving them some relief in a city that had all but forgotten about them. That was what kept him coming back in spite of everything; the exhaustion, the crime, even the Templars weren’t enough to make him close his doors.

Justice wanted him to do more. Justice always wanted him to do more, and though they had their arguments about his time management, Anders knew that the spirit didn’t want him to stop this either.

Still, when he turned around to see the crowd that had gathered in the clinic he couldn’t help but think longingly of bed.

“Anders!” The group parted as Hayden approached, her now short black hair sticking up in tufts and her brooding shadow not too far behind. “We’re trading.”

The blonde cocked his head in confusion at that, regarding her. “Come again? We’re… trading?”

“Yep.” She nodded, pulling her bag off her shoulder and setting it down on the work table. “Fenris and I will stay here, I’ll take over all the healing for the day, you need to go back home and deal with Cooper.”

Those simple words had Anders on high alert, a wave of worry pushing away any fatigue as he studied Hayden critically. She seemed relaxed, still rubbing her eyes in a way that made him think she’d only just woken up—and  _ oh _ how nice that must be—so it couldn’t be that bad. Then again, Hayden’s idea of critical issues and his own were a little… different.

“What’s wrong with Coop?” He asked, eyes narrowing when Fenris ducked his head to mask what seemed suspiciously like a laugh. “Hayden?”

The raven rolled her eyes at that, making a face. “Go see for yourself. He hasn’t left his room all day after you got up.” 

Which, by itself was cause for alarm. They had only  _ just  _ started getting Cooper out of the house again and re-engaging in his hobbies. Anders knew that there were still going to be bad days, but to hear that he wasn’t getting out of bed was… it was concerning. And yet the mage couldn’t help but think that he didn’t have all the facts. Hayden seemed far too at ease for things to be exactly as they seemed, and evidently she wasn’t going to elaborate.

As much as he loved the woman, she could be a pain in the ass sometimes.

“Alright. Fine. Come get me if--you’ll be fine.” He waved a hand. 

Hayden was a healer, though she lacked a lot of the fundamental training that he’d received in the Circle. Her father had taught her as much as he could, but Malcolm Hawke hadn’t specialized in healing or creation magic. Anders had taken over teaching her what he knew, especially when he realized her potential as a Spirit Healer. She had come far in her training, but he still worried about leaving her alone in the clinic without supervision.

“I’ll be fine.” She answered pleasantly, turning towards Fenris. “Now, let’s go see who’s dying today!”

Her bedside manner was absolute shite however.

Anders rolled his eyes as he left the clinic, fishing out the key to the cellar from his robes. It made getting to and from the clinic to the estate a lot easier, and a lot safer than having to make the trek through Darktown, up Lowtown and into Hightown. It also cut his commute time in half, and provided a quick and easy escape during the ever increasing Templar raids. Or, as in this circumstance, it provided a quick route home to manage a potential crisis.

* * *

“You were deliberately vague.” Fenris accused, mixing different herbs and organizing the plants that had been set to dry. “He’s going to worry needlessly.”

Hayden pulled her hands back, letting the silvery-green glow fade as she finished healing a woman with an infected cut on her hand. “It’ll make him move faster.”

“It was very misleading of what’s actually happening.” He countered, the corner of his mouth curling slightly when she stuck her tongue out childishly. “You’re awful.”

“Maybe. Had to worry him a little bit, if he didn’t think it was bad he’d work the day away. They deserve the day to enjoy.” She answered, moving onto the next person. “You going soft on me Fen?”

“Not without breaking a sweat first.” Fenris teased her with a smirk.

Hayden let out a surprised giggle, trying to hide it in her elbow. “Now who’s awful?”

* * *

When Anders emerged out of the cellar, brushing a spider off of his shoulder with a disgusted expression, everything seemed normal. 

Which, admittedly, he wasn’t entirely certain what he’d been expecting otherwise. Things wouldn’t be nearly as calm if it was a genuine catastrophe and the estate seemed rather settled. That went a way to ease Anders’ worry, replacing it with something more akin to confusion as he climbed the steps to the upper floor. Orana murmured a quick greeting from where she was dusting in the study, her attention drawn intently by the way she was balancing on the stool to reach the tops of the shelves. The woman had come into her own from working at the estate, losing much of her previously timid nature.

Anders supposed it wasn’t unexpected, considering that she no longer had to fear being sacrificed by her new employers. 

He was a few steps away from the bedroom door when he heard Cooper’s voice, soft and hushed, murmuring something that he couldn’t quite hear. In the back of his mind, Anders could feel Justice’s awareness rise, the spirit’s concern lifting to the surface. Though he had called Cooper a distraction at first, had insisted Anders not get close to the archer, Justice had become just as attached as he was. And it was relieving, in a way, to know that the spirit was more than a little worried. 

“...ker, they’re so small and helpless.” Cooper sniffled, the words coming into focus as Anders pushed the door open.

“Coop, honey?” He called out worriedly. “What’s wrong? Hayden said you hadn’t gotten out of bed yet.”

The archer looked up when he stepped inside the bedroom, shoulders and neck hunched from his spot on the floor. His eyes were red rimmed, and slightly puffy, a sure sign he’d been crying. “Anders! They’re so small!”

“Who? What are you talking about?” Understanding dawned when he rounded the corner of the bed, looking down to see five wriggling tan lumps in Cooper’s lap. “Oh.”

“Look at them!” He sniffled again, lifting one of the puppies. “What are we going to do? I wasn’t ready for this responsibility.”

Suddenly Hayden’s behavior made sense, and the mage let out a sigh as he he felt the smile threatening his features. “Coop, we knew that Rowan was going to have her puppies any day now.”

Cooper shook his head at that, cradling the puppy to his chest. “You don’t understand. We’ve gotta make sure we raise them right, arrange visits to Ferelden--these aren’t just any puppies Anders.”

“I’m missing something here.” He smiled indulgently, sitting down beside the archer and petting Rowan. “Why do we have to arrange visits to Ferelden?”

Dark eyes met his, followed by a long suffering sigh. “They’re not just Champion puppies, Anders. They’re  _ royal _ puppies too! The father isn’t just any old mabari from the kennels, he’s the mabari of the Queen of Ferelden.” 

Thinking back on it, Anders realized--with the help of some quick mental math--that Rowan would have had to have gotten pregnant around the time Cooper had gone on his trip to Ferelden to meet with the royal family, and with the Warden. 

“We should at least wait until they open their eyes, don’t you think?” He chuckled, lifting one of the puppies. 

It was bigger than his hand, and started wiggling and moving it’s head immediately after being pulled away from it’s mother. Rowan perked her head up at that, nosing at his hand before settling back down, apparently having decided that the pup was safe. 

**_He’s crying._ ** Justice said, confusion evident.  **_Do the puppies upset him?_ **

_ No, _ Anders answered with a thought, a fond smile on his face as he cradled the puppy to his chest.  _ He’s happy.  _

**_But he’s crying._ **

_ Tears of joy.  _ Anders explained.  _ Crying is a way of releasing emotion, but it doesn’t always have to be a negative emotion. I’ve done it before, remember? _

The mage opened his memories, letting the spirit peruse through them for supporting evidence. Justice was the more logic based of the two of them; Anders had lived by his intuition and empathy, but the spirit relied on empirical evidence for forming conclusions. 

His confusion abated some at that, being replaced by affectionate exasperation.  **_Our Champion._ **

“I suppose we should wait until they’re older to plan any trips. I’ll have to write a letter to the Queen.” Cooper admitted, wiping at his face. “You’re talking to Justice?” 

“How could you tell?” Anders turned the puppy to look at it’s stomach. “This one is a girl.”

The archer scooted closer, careful about the remaining four pups in his lap. “You get that sort of far away look, tilt your head a bit--always to the right--like you’re listening to someone. And you’re very expressive while speaking with him. What are we going to name them?”

Both Anders and Justice were taken aback by that answer--and pleased. It shouldn’t come as such a surprise that he’d noticed those little tells; Cooper was a rogue, and a good one. He had a habit of picking up on the small details. More than that, though, he’d always been attentive to the two of them. Still, it was a nice reminder that the archer loved Justice as much as he loved Anders.

“Well, let’s sex them first, and then we’ll go from there.” Anders reached up to push a lock of chestnut hair out of Cooper’s face, tucking it behind his ear when the archer pressed against him. “Hand me the next one.”

It ended up being relatively easy; of the five puppies, there was only the one female and the rest were male. Anders kept the female in his lap, leaving Cooper with the boys while they puzzled over names. It was more difficult than Anders had anticipated, as they clashed quite a few times. 

“We’re not naming him Lord Scuttlebutt.” Cooper shook his head determinedly. “Anders he’s a mabari. A war hound. A status of honor and nobility among Fereldens. They need  _ noble  _ names.”

“You got to pick the first one!” The mage argued. “I refuse to support all of our puppies having boring names.”

“What’s wrong with Belenas?” 

“Nothing! It’s a fine name! It’s just… you want to give them all serious names, like they’re going to be going into battle and have to be intimidating.”

“ _ War dogs,  _ Anders.”

“Pets!” He huffed, rubbing a finger under the chin of the female. “Okay, here’s how we’re going to do this. You get to pick one name, no questions asked, I get to pick one name, no questions asked, and--”

“And Justice.” Cooper interrupted. “It’s only fair.”

Something warm unfurled in his chest at that, and Anders fought the urge to smile. They were arguing, after all, it wouldn’t be prudent to start grinning like a sappy idiot.

“And Justice.” He agreed. “Which leaves two left over. We’ll let Fenris and Hayden name them when they come back.”

Cooper paused, whisky eyes flicking back and forth as he considered the arrangement. “I accept the terms.”

He rolled his eyes at that. “Oh, thank you. So you can name yours Belenas if you want, but I’m naming this pretty lady.”

Cooper opened his mouth to argue, earning a stern look from Anders. “...fine, you can name her.”

“Thank you.” He smirked his victory. “Her name is going to be Empress DuPawsley, but we will call her Empress for short. And when she’s in trouble it will be Empress Bernadine Geneva Odette DuPawsley.”

Cooper gaped at him, mouth working as he tried to vocalize his thoughts. It took a few seconds of stunned silence, and Anders could see the gears turning in his head as he kicked his brain back into motion, before he let out a noise that was half way between disgust and amusement.

“You are  _ utterly  _ ridiculous.” The archer offered with a laugh, swiping a hand through his hair. “Unbelievable. Really? That’s what you want to name her?”

“Don’t judge me, Mister ‘Names my puppy after an Ash Warrior hero’.” Anders snorted.

“Luthias is a good name! Better than that mess, it sounds Orlesian.” Cooper answered, shoving his shoulder playfully.

**_It is a strong name._ ** Justice offered diplomatically.  **_Empress Bernadine Geneva Odette DuPawsley is a bit of a mouthful._ **

_ Don’t you turn on me too!  _

“Ha! Justice agrees with me doesn’t he?” Cooper stuck his tongue out.

Anders let out a huff at that, shoving back. “I don’t want to hear it from the spirit who named his puppy Valor.”

**_It’s a good name._ ** Justice argued.

“Don’t pick on Justice for being reasonable.” Anders made a disgusted noise at that. “You’re the one with a ridiculous name.”

“You’re a ridiculous name.” The mage shot back childishly, earning a look from his boyfriend. “Shut up.”

He was losing the argument and he knew it. Not that Anders would expect differently since he was being ganged up on by both Cooper and Justice. In retaliation--definitely not sinking to petty means--he reached over to poke at Cooper’s ribs. The archer let out a surprised squawk, arms flailing as he tried to bat Anders’ hands away. They quickly devolved into a bout of childish play slapping, Cooper lunging and trying to push Anders over. Refusing to be the loser, Anders latched onto his arm, pulling the brunette down with him. 

The pair landed with a thump, red faced and breathless from laughing, and Anders let out a surprised giggle when Cooper moved to pin him down. The archer’s weight settled against him as if it were where he belonged, and Anders supposed it was true. Five years they’d been together now, and Anders couldn’t imagine anyone who fit so perfectly. 

“I’ve got you right where I want you now.” Cooper grinned down at him, glasses dangling off his sharp nose. 

He would be lying if he said he didn’t miss this. After Leandra’s death, and struggling to recover from the battle with the Arishok, there hadn’t been nearly enough light-hearted moments. Things were turning in Kirkwall, getting worse Anders suspected, for the mages at the very least. And it wouldn’t be long until they were forced to a head, until his people were pushed to breaking point.

Anders wanted to grab the moments like these, hold them close while they lasted.

“And, hah, what exactly do you plan to do with me, now that you’ve caught me?” The mage asked, staring up at him through his lashes. 

Cooper stilled at that, head tilting to the side and regarding him in a way that reminded the mage of his namesake. He looked like a hawk, perched high and surveying his prey critically. It was thrilling, being the single focus of the man on top of him, and Anders bit his lip coyly as the mood shifted from playful to something… more.

“Well,” Cooper began, voice rough as his fingers slid up from the mage’s wrists to tangle with his own, “I’ll have to figure something out won’t I?”

“I—” Whatever quip he was going to shoot back with was swallowed as Cooper pressed down for an insistent kiss.

Anders let out a muffled noise caught somewhere between a gasp and a groan as he tried to press up into it, tried to chase the kiss as Cooper pulled away.

The archer tsked in disapproval, his eyes glittering with a promise that had heat coiling low in Anders. “Oh, no.  _ I  _ caught  _ you  _ remember? My rules this time.”

Anders  _ definitely  _ groaned at that. “Oh, you fucking tease.”

* * *

They had five puppies, in all. Four males and one female, and now all with names. 

Empress and Valor were both curled up under Rowan’s head, snuffling occasionally and twitching in their sleep. Fenris had named one of the puppies Sataari, of the Qunlat, with the literal translation of being ‘the first guy on the ground’. It was fitting, incidentally in that not only was Sataari the first pup born, but also the largest and--so far, the most adventurous. The runt of the litter was currently squished between Sataari and Luthien, and at the very least Hayden had won the prize for most disliked name when she’d dubbed the puppy Tomato.

“I love them.” Cooper murmured sleepily, one arm dangling off the bed and making a half hearted twitch towards them. “I don’t even know--I love them so much. Is this what having a kid feels like?”

“I’ve never had a child, so I can’t tell you.” Anders chuckled, moving Pounce onto the pillow as he rolled. “And technically we’d be grandparents, since Rowan is your baby.”

Cooper chuckled at that, twisting to look at Anders as the mage pressed light kisses across his shoulders. “You’re trying to distract me.”

“You’ve been watching them for hours, honey.” Another kiss, right between the shoulderblades. “Go to sleep.”

“Yeah.” The archer pushed his glasses up, rubbing at the indentations on the bridge of his nose.

He pulled them off, folding the stems neatly and setting them on the night stand before putting out the candle. “Yeah, okay. I just--they’re so small. I love them.”

“We  _ know _ .” Anders laughed, his mirth mirrored by Justice’s. “Go to sleep Coop.”

With a little more protest, Cooper shifted fully into bed, rolling onto his side and tugging Anders close into his arms. He sank into the embrace, contentment radiating out, from both himself and Justice. Maybe they wouldn’t get many more moments like this, but it just made the time spent together all the more precious.

 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, if you enjoyed, kudos are always welcome! And feel free to come talk to me [here!](http://www.icarus-this-bitch.tumblr.com)


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